An unexpected cause of pathologic hip fracture. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma

Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 1989;108(4):261-3. doi: 10.1007/BF00936214.

Abstract

We describe a case of a 68-year-old patient presenting with pathological hip fracture and multiple pulmonary metastases, who has been operated without a prior histological diagnosis. The hip lesion was thought to be a metastasis of an unknown primary tumor. The proximal part of the femur was resected and replaced by a Müller mega-prosthesis. Histological analysis of the resected bone revealed a malignant fibrous histiocytoma, a rare but very aggressive bone tumor. The patient died three weeks after operation of widespread metastases. By presenting this case report, we want to stress the importance of pretreatment histological diagnosis of osteolytic bone lesions in older patients with metastases.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Femoral Neoplasms / complications*
  • Femoral Neoplasms / surgery
  • Fractures, Spontaneous / diagnostic imaging
  • Fractures, Spontaneous / etiology*
  • Hip Fractures / diagnostic imaging
  • Hip Fractures / etiology*
  • Hip Prosthesis
  • Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous / complications*
  • Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous / surgery
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prosthesis Design
  • Radiography